Independent veterinary diagnostics and water analysis for livestock production and performance.


Sci-Tech delivers quality microbiological and serological testing services to the veterinary diagnostic sector and associated businesses throughout the livestock sector. Our UKAS accredited services, performed by our highly skilled teams, cover all aspects of poultry, porcine and gamebird production, including bird production, routine hatchery, and hygiene monitoring. We work closely with vets and farmers to develop new analytical solutions to meet market changes and according to individual requirements, ensuring services are confidential, accurate, and timely. With no minimum charge and full traceability, our analysis services for vets and farmers are second to none.

Sci-Tech is also the first laboratory in the UK to link with online egg and poultry data and management software provider Eggbase to give farmers direct access to and management of their analysis reports.

Salmonella Enteritidis vaccination differentiation test


Salmonella vaccination is mandated to protect food safety and public health. Establishing whether a strain is vaccinal or wild allows poultry farmers to determine whether they can continue to trade or must get rid of the current batch and start over. Our differentiation test helps farmers save time and money, comply with the Lion Code, and safeguard public health.

Sci-Tech has successfully validated a poultry vaccine differentiation test for Salmonella Enteritidis. It confirms the presence of the vaccine strain for the CEVA Salmovac vaccine, making it highly beneficial for Salmonella surveillance.

Any samples with a positive Salmonella Enteritidis result can be further screened in the laboratory for differentiation. Results are available within 48 hours to allow potential action to be taken as quickly as possible.

Porcine

Numerous diseases can affect pigs at all levels of maturity, resulting in reproductive issues, high piglet mortality and respiratory disease. Sci-Tech works with veterinary and animal health professionals to identify and treat infection quickly so you can prevent the impact of disease on your herd. Services include UKAS accredited serology analysis for diagnosis and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis for screening diseases such as Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), swine influenza and porcine Salmonella. We also test for Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2) and are one of the first laboratories to test for the emerging PCV3 disease.

Poultry

Testing poultry for diseases is essential for both the health of the birds and the safety of the eggs they produce. Sci-Tech is one of the few independent, fully accredited laboratories that uses CASE agar testing to improve the detection and isolation of Salmonella. Our other serology and PCR services test for infectious bronchitis, egg drop syndrome, avian coronavirus and MG/MS, amongst others, enabling reliable diagnosis. Tests distinguish between different groups and strains of bacteria from a large range of sample matrices, including tissue, swabs, environmental samples, blood and other bodily fluids.

Gamebirds

Every year, vets screen gamebirds at all stages of life, from poults in hatcheries to fully grown birds, and work with gamekeepers to ensure they stay healthy in the release pens. The testing services available for gamebirds are very similar to other livestock birds (see: Poultry), and Sci-Tech is the only UK laboratory specifically validated for ELISA tests for Mycoplasma gallisepticum for both poultry and gamebirds.

Microbiology

Sci-Tech’s highly experienced microbiology team offers flexible testing services using samples of carcass swabs, digestates, composts, food and feed products, poultry feed samples, faecal samples, eggs and organs to detect Salmonella, Enterobacteriaceae, yeast and other organisms for quality indicators. Methods are based on international standards (BS EN ISO) as part of a regularly tested comprehensive quality system, and many tests are UKAS accredited for full compliance.

Water bacteriology

Poor water quality affects all aspects of livestock production and performance, including hampering growth, curtailing egg production, and reducing egg quality in birds. Sci-Tech offers mineral and potable water testing using a range of techniques and analytical methodologies in line with up-to-date legislation and regulations. Packages include, but are not limited to, full mineral bacteriological screen, potable screen, livestock bacteriology, farm water, livestock suitability and full chemistry water suite analysis.

Specialist projects

Sci-Tech uses its expertise to provide independent analysis services, developing innovative bespoke studies for specific customer requirements. Specialist work includes investigative trials to test product performance. We conduct projects for a number of companies, as well as on behalf of, or in partnership with, government and contract research organisations.